That's Amore in New Bordeaux
by JennyAnn1224
Summary: Vito and Rosa were separated many years ago after their honeymoon but they may be able to have their happy ending years later in a new city, with the help of their new friend Lincoln Clay. Read, Review, Enjoy! Sequel to That's Amore: link - /s/7338879/1/That-s-Amore
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone,

If you are reading this then you have most likely read my first story That's Amore, link is in description if you haven't yet.

This is the continuation of my OCxVito story and I hope you enjoy it.

Like the old story their is narration changes as you read what Vito, Rosa, and Lincolnare thinking. There is a line that will symbolize the narrator change.

Thank you,

JennyAnn

* * *

July 5th, 1951

Vito held me in his arms as the taxi sped down the road. I just looked at him the whole time. I didn't know what our fate was going to be, but just in case I wanted to remember him, just like this. He felt me gazing at him and he looked down at me. He gave me a half smile. One that read _I love you too and I want to reassure you everything will be alright, but I'm not sure it will be._ He kissed my head.

Suddenly, he sat up straight. I followed his eyes toward a small yellow beach house, the one Joe had rented out. There was a sleek black limo parked out front and we knew exactly who had paid Joe a visit. "Keep going, down the road!" Vito ordered the driver. He did as he was told and pulled over a few blocks down.

I was in a panic as I scrambled for my gun, shoving pullets in it "What's the plan? You have your gun, right? Should I go in first or you? Should we sneak around back and-" I stopped talking as Vito's hands cupped my face, bringing it to his face. I read his expression. He didn't have to say a word and I knew what he was trying to tell me.

My face crinkled up as my vision became blurred by my tears. I mouthed the words ' _no'_ as I gripped Vito's wrists. I tried to shake my head as he held it firmly in his heads.

"Yes, Rosa….Yes." Vito said as he tried to hold back the tears too "It's over." He looked down as he let go of my face.

"No, Vito it's not over. We can do this. We've faced worse. Look at us now. We are here, we are together."

"Rosa, stop." I saw the tears now. They slid down his face leaving behind a wet trail. "They want me. We can't keep running. They won't give up."

My heart was aching and thudding loudly in my chest. My limbs felt weak, every part of me was trembling. My stomach churning as I realized this may be the last time I see my Vito, my husband. We sat in silence for a moment. Then I watched him take off his wedding ring. He put it in my hand "Keep this…" I let out a loud moan. My eyes were red as I looked at him. He pulled me to him. Wrapping his arm around my head and stroking my hair to calm me down. I felt him kiss the top of my head again.

Then he spoke "there is a house in California" I pulled away from him, watching him as he spoke. It's in a suburb outside of Golden Bay City." He took out a pen and scribbled down an address "I bought it before our wedding. I had this plan to run away from all of this with you." He paused trying not to cry "It's all paid for, no mortgage you just have to pay the bills."

"Vito…" I clung to him.

"It's just like the kind of house we talked about getting" I was sobbing into his chest. I didn't want to hear anymore. "It has a big bay window like you like and you can see the bridge from the second story." I started to punch him now. "Ow, hey, what are you doing?" He pulled me away from him.

"I'm not leaving you, Vito! Without you I have nothing! I can't let you die and go on living!" I was screaming, letting out hysterical cries like a spoiled child. "I…I can't."

He took my face in his hands again "Rosa, you listen to me." I stopped throwing a fit when I heard his voice change. He was serious "When I first met you, that night in the Maltese Falcone, I knew you were going to be a pain in the butt" he managed a chuckle "you were stubborn and a hard head…and beside from being beautiful…you were strong. I could see that." We rested our head against each other "I know you can get through this. You deserve more than this life you've led these years. You deserve to be happy." I let out another loud moan.

"I want to be happy with you, Vito."

He did not speak for a few moments as he squeezed his eyes tight "…I know. I want to be happy with you too, but we can't. Please, be strong for me Rosa. Don't let this drag you down, _live_. For me…?" I knew what he was trying to say. He knew what I was thinking. That I would leave this moment and find this house he bought and I would end my life there. But I couldn't do that. After he begged me to stay strong and to live, not only for myself, but him…I knew I could never take my own life from this world, not until God is ready to take me.

We held each other for a few moments longer and then Vito pulled away from me "Take her to the airport, please." I did not cry. I did not beg for him to stay. I watched him exit the car and reach for his gun. We stared at each other until the taxi disappeared over the hill and he was gone.

* * *

I watched the taxi until I couldn't see it anymore. Then I checked my pistol for bullets. It was fully loaded. I kicked open the door and raised my gun in front of me. I was ready to shoot when I saw Leo in the kitchen. Joe was standing next to him, two guards holding his hands behind his back. "Put the gun away, my boy, you won't need it." I hesitated but when I saw the other mobsters unarmed, I disarmed as well.

I was confused. Why hasn't he killed us yet? After everything we did. "Sit, sit. Pour him a drink." He ordered his guards. They set a glass of whiskey in front of me and I stared at it. "Come on, Vito, just drink it." I watched as Leo brought a glass to his lips and took a sip. I did the same, to be polite. "You're probably wondering why I haven't shot both of you yet." I tried to look at Joe but he kept staring at the floor, avoiding eye contact. "I have a lot of respect for you two, well more you Vito." I saw Joe flinch at the cruel statement "Running away" he swatted his pointer finger at me "Not good." He took another sip and sighed "I saw you sent that little dame of yours far away from here-"

I got up as his guards tensed "Leave her out of this. It's over and done. She isn't a part of this anymore."

Leo laughed as he signaled for his guards to relax "I like you, Vito, you take loyalty very seriously. The problem is you are loyal to the wrong people, like this fat son of bitch standing next to me" again Joe flinched "…but you have great potential, and I see a lot of myself in you. You're like a son to me." He paused to throw a smile my way "The girl was a weak point, and your friend, but other than that I can see you being very successful in this business. As much as that makes me proud it also worries me. You see Vito, you are a threat to me and my operation. And as much as I like you I can't keep you around." I felt my stomach tighten "In this business you become very paranoid and you have to think very hard about letting the people who misbehave stay alive. I've thought long and hard about our situation here Vito. Everyone in the city hates you. You're a wanted man." This was it, I was going to die in this hideous bright yellow beach house, sweating my balls off. "I've decided to send you away. There is a mob boss in Louisiana, goes by the name Sal Marcano. Good kid, I knew his father."

"What…?" I was shocked.

"I'm sure he will give you a nice racket to control, a part of the city to call your own. He can keep an eye on you for me." My eyes searched for something that wasn't there as I tried to figure out what Leo was saying "As for your friend, Joe. We've talked and he understands"

I looked up "What is he talking about Joe?" I felt the guards grab my arms and start pulling me to the door "Joe, Joe! Look at me, what is he talking about? JOE!" The last thing I saw was Leo's hand on Joe's shoulder and then the door shut.

They threw me in the back of the limo and drove me to the airport. I was on a plan to Louisiana before I even had a chance to catch my breath.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm giving this one to Burke. With his expertise in cars, I think he will do good with these rackets." I made my final decision and watched the faces of the other bosses drop. Casandra stormed out, as usual, with some comment about black empowerment. As for Vito he just took it for what it was. I was studying him when Burke came up to me.

He slapped me on the back "Thanks again, boyo. You made the right choice put'n me in charge" his thick Irish accent was sometimes hard to understand.

"No problem, Burke" I continued to watch Vito as he left "Hey, what do you know about Scaletta?"

"It's hard to say exactly. He was some big shot back in Empire Bay, or was slowly becoming one, but something happened" He dug in his pocket and pulled out a small flask "He was sent here and his heart just hasn't been in it. That and Marcano won't give him any action…if he even wants it "He took a swig and then offered me some, I politely refused "I heard he had some little lassie at some point. Think she was murdered" he hesitated "Or was it his mum…sister…? Ah, whatever, he hasn't been the same since." He took another sip from the flask and tucked it back into his coat pocket "Anyway, I best be heading back to the shop. Nicki has something to tell me and she'll kill me if I'm late."

I mulled over what Burke said as I followed him out the door of the old plantation house. I saw Vito was still in the driveway. I walked up and knocked on his window. "Hey" he looked up at me from the edge of his fedora "You busy right now, want to get a drink?"

"Listen, Kid, I'm fine with you giving Burke that last territory, no hard feelings, alright." He started rolling up the window.

I stopped it with my hand "Come on, Vito, it's just a drink. You asked me to do you those favors and I did, can't you do me this one?" We looked at each other for a minute, then he finally answered.

"Fine, but I ain't going to some bar. You want a drink, then we will have it at my place. Besides…" He started his car "I promised I would make you my Ma's bucatini in exchange for that last territory you gave me." He rolled up the window and drove off down the dirt road. I did the same.

Vito was already there when I pulled up. I opened the door and heard Italian opera music blasting from the kitchen. "This is some real déjà vu, huh?" I said as I walked into the back where Vito was cutting some carrots. He nodded his head, then silence. "So, how did you learn this recipe?"

"I told you it was my _Ma's_ bucatini, how do you think I learned it." He kept cutting his vegetables.

Again, silence. I snorted and leaned back in my chair "Damn, Vito, if I knew how painful this was going to be, I would've never suggested it." He didn't respond "Listen, we can't get to know each other by not saying anything. I can't read minds you know." I looked at him searching for a reaction and got nothing "What do you want to know about me? I'll let you know my whole story I don't care. I was orphaned at a young age, saw friends come and go all the time. Finally, I was adopted by Sammy after the orphanage I was housed in was forced to close. I gained a new mom and dad and a step brother, Ellis. Other kids from my orphanage weren't so lucky. It was a good life he gave me, always tried his hardest to provide, but I never felt like I fit in." I paused remembering my past. "…anyway, I joined the military" I looked up at Vito "there's something we have in common. You know the army life. Don't think I haven't noticed that scrapbook you're always looking at." I noticed he finally stopped prepping the vegetables "When I got home…well you know the rest."

There was silence again as Vito tossed his fixings into the pot "So what you're telling me is that you have no friends, no family, and what… no little honey anywhere?" He turned to face me now and leaned up against the counter.

I shook my head "No, I just never had time. Then I got caught up in this and…it's just not a good idea. No woman deserves to deal with my shit, this life I've chose."

Vito smiled "Smart thinking, you want to stay away from pain, stay away from love." He dumped the pasta into the boiling water.

"You know about pain…?" I questioned.

"I'm very familiar with pain, yeah." He was feeding dough into a pasta maker, turning the handle with care.

"How so…?" I leaned in, resting my elbows on the counter.

He stopped "listen kid I-"

"Come on, Vito. I shared, it's your turn."

He let out a long sigh, then spoke "My girl…my wife, was a mafia woman. Her family had debt to pay and she was it. I met her the night I was made and…the rest is history." He stared at the counter but I could tell he was in a different world. He shook it off "Listen, Lincoln. If I could give you one piece advice it would be to love someone. It is heart breaking, and horrible but as much as it is difficult, it is an amazing feeling. I loved her so much. When I was with her I…I…" he struggled to describe his feelings but the smile never left his face "It was the best I had ever felt, but like you said, the business we are in prevents us from having that. You, kid, are young. You aren't fully in this life, like I was. I choose my path and it was too late by the time I found her. If you have someone in mind, and I know you do, I saw it in your eyes when I asked, you should run away from all of this with her…before it's too late." He choked back tears as he went to stir the pasta.

"What happened to her...?" I was worried I went too far.

"We tried to run" he didn't face me "…but it was too late for us to get away. I thought I was going to die that day but I didn't. She probably thinks I'm dead, even to this day. I never reached out to her. It was for the best because we were never going to be together, not if the mafia had anything to say about it. I wanted her to be happy and live a better life." He let out a sarcastic chuckle "54 Main St. Golden Bay, California. The house she lives in. I bought it for us but…well you know. Sometimes I think about writing to her but stop myself every time." He took two plates out of the cupboard and started to place pasta on each.

"Do you think they still care to keep you two apart?"

"Look at me, kid. Look at where I am, what you saved me from those months back. My life is done, over, I have nothing left. When I leave the Mafia it will be in a coffin, if they don't just throw me in the swamps first and let the gators get me. Besides…" he picked up a pan and studied his reflection "I don't want her to see me like this, an old man, I want her to remember me how I was." He picked up the plates and started to the dining room "enough with this depressing shit, grab that bottle of wine and let's enjoy the bucatini."

I smiled as we took our seats in a booth. We spent the night talking about everything and anything. We even shared a few laughs which surprised the both of us. When it was time to go I said my goodbyes and thanked Vito for the food. "Anytime, Lincoln, thanks for suggesting this. It wasn't bad." We chuckled as I got into my car "Hey" I turned before shutting the door "Remember my advice"

I gave him a nod and shut the door. I drove off down the street and couldn't stop thinking about the pain in Vito's voice when he talked about losing his girl. I also couldn't stop thinking about the one girl that I never had the chance to talk to when I got back from Nam… _Raejeanne_. I was torn between seeing her again or just letting it be.


	3. Chapter 3

_Vito:_

I didn't think it would affect me that much, talking about her, but once I was alone with my thoughts I couldn't shut them off. I tossed and turned trying to get the image of her out of my head. I finally gave up and made my way to my office.

I never looked at it. It would just make the pain worse. It had been about five years since I had pulled it out but my heart ached too much not to open it tonight. I found the key and pulled back the carpet. I found the right floor board and propped it up. I reached in and pulled out the small box and unlocked it. I took out the photos of her and other little things I had kept for memory. I handled each item with care as I gazed at them, _beautiful_ I thought. This wasn't helping. Nothing would ever help. I slumped down on the floor and squeezed my fingers over my eyes, trying to stop the tears.

 _Lincoln:_

I was pacing back and forth of the apartment building. My finger hovered over the buzzer and then dropped, then back up again. I didn't have the courage to push it. _What the fuck am I doing?_ I thought to myself as I made my way down the steps and back to my car. It wasn't a good idea to see Raejeanne. I don't care what Vito said, look at him now. He is weak and vulnerable because of that girl and I don't plan on being that way too.

I made my way to Father Jame's house for our weekly lunch. They were getting harder to attend as he became increasingly disappointed in me for what I was doing to Marcano's operation. He thought I was changing, becoming one of them. I tried to explain that it wouldn't happen but I could see the doubt in his eyes.

I rang the bell "Lincoln, come on in. I'm glad you could make it this week." I nodded my head as I ducked through the doorway. His small house smelled like gumbo. "Sit, sit, I'll get the plates."

We sat in silence, the only noise was the slurping of our meal. I set down my spoon and looked at his bowl "Father… do you believe in love?"

I watched him set down his spoon and look at me. I didn't look up "Well, of course I do, Lincoln. Why do you ask?"

I sighed, picking up my spoon again "ah, never mind."

He brought his hands in front of his mouth, resting his elbows on the table, as he pondered "love is a very powerful thing. A perfect example would be Jesus's love for us. The way he sacrificed his life for us, so we could _live._ "

I stopped him "yeah, I understand that, but I'm talking about for another person. Not all of humanity."

"That's what I'm say'n, Lincoln. Jesus _loved_ us so much that it gave him the strength to face death. _Love_ is one thing that stays constant when the world seems to be crashing down around us. _Love_ can conquer evil and prevails through the darkest of times. _Love_ … is powerful." Again, I felt his eyes on me "I've brought people together in holy matrimony, watched them grow together, and baptized their children. I've seen the way people look at each other, I've seen the value in what they are doing together."

"Yeah but…" I kept my eyes on my food "What if it's not that easy, what if something happens and you're left there broken and lost because you can't be together or you lost the other person."

"That is tough but that is one of the sacrifices you make when you commit to another human being." He picked up his spoon and took another mouth full of gumbo. With a smile he said "Like that old saying goes 'it's better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all' I believe that." There was silence again, then I felt his hand grip my arm "Lincoln, listen, you can get out of this. If this is what you want, to settle down and have a family, _leave_ this life immediately. You still have time."

I finally looked at him and saw the pleading in his eyes. I checked my watch. _Shit._ I was supposed to meet Donovan in Southtowns for our next move. "Thank you, Father, but I have to go." I got out of my chair and threw my napkin on the table. I shut the door behind me, hearing him calling to me. I paused to take everything he told me in. I shook it off and ran to my car.

LATER THAT NIGHT:

"Call off the cops in Delray Hollow." I ordered into the radio as the cop sirens rang in the back ground. I parked my car and jumped out, heading toward Sammy's old building. I made my way down the stairs. I heard the steps creak each time my foot landed on a step. I quickly wiped the sweat from my forehead as my fingertips twisted the safe combination lock. I struggled to get it open.

"Dammit, dammit. Focus Lincoln…FOCUS" I slammed my fist on the safe door. I was having trouble recalling things from memory. It seemed to start after my accident. I was losing precious moments I shared with Sammy and Elise. They were fading, things I didn't want to lose now that they were gone. I rested my head on the safe. My fist slid down and dangled helplessly from my sides.

The weight of everything with Sal and the mob was laying heavy on my shoulders and I was finally starting to feel it. My relationships with other people were faltering and I…I… just feel so alone, sometimes. So tired. I squeezed my eyes tight as I felt the rush of tears filling my eyes. Before the salty drops could spill over my bottom lids I heard something. When I opened my eyes I felt one single tear escape and streamed down my cheek. I wiped it away and quickly pulled out my pistol, aiming it into a dark corner of the basement. "Who's there?" my powerful voice echoed off the basement walls. "Show yourself or I swear to God I will-" I stopped mid-sentence when I saw who appeared from hiding. My mouth fell, my jaw hanging ajar. "Raejeanne…?"

Her eyes were filled with tears "It's true…" she came closer to me, her hands hovering over her shocked, open mouth. "They said you were shot in the head, but they never found your body." She was inches from me now "I couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. I thought to myself…" she looked down searching for the memory of that horrible moment "He was just here, he just got back from surviving the war and now he…he…" she looked up at me, her bottom lip quivering "but here you are. I came here after a few people told me they thought they saw you out front of my auntie's house today."

I stayed completely still and silent as I looked down on her. She reached out her hand and gripped my chin between her thumb and pointer finger. I let her turn my head so she could see my scar. "Oh my…" she moved her hand to lightly touch the pink colored flesh on my head "Oh Lincoln." She brought her hand back to herself and cupped them to her mouth. She shut her eyes and started to sob.

I watched her for a few moments. I wanted to comfort her but I didn't know if I should. It must mean something that she is here, that she made the effort to find me. My face finally softened as I touched her shoulder "Don't cry, Rae." She looked up at me and my heart ached as I was faced with her tear filled big brown eyes. My lips pressed together as I pulled her into me. She gripped my shirt as she sobbed into my chest.

She pulled herself together quickly "I'm sorry Lincoln, I can't believe they did this to you and…and…" she couldn't say Elise or Sammy's name. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be hysterical. I just, I can't believe you're here." I just looked at her and she looked back. "You look so tired, Lincoln." she touched my cheek. I closed my eyes at her touch, savoring it. She bit her lip and I could tell she was thinking about something. "Ya hear I got my own place." I shook my head. "Well I did and it has an extra room. I think you need to come over so I can cook you a meal and you can take a rest."

"What happened to your aunt?" I asked.

"Oh…she passed away a few months ago." She looked down, gripping her arm.

"I'm sorry." I tried to reach for her but hesitated.

"It's alright, we all saw it coming." She looked around and spotted the bed "Please don't tell me you sleep here." She smiled at me, changing the subject and I didn't realized how much I missed that smile.

"When I have time to sleep, yeah." I matched her grin.

"That's it" she grabbed my hand and pulled me up the steps "let's go."

When we got to her house it was in the center of the French ward. An apartment above a local shop. It was nice. It had detailed metal work on the railings and engraved molding around her bright yellow walls. Her furniture matched the rest of the New Bordeaux style. She sat me on the couch as she went to go make dinner "You stay right here and I'll call you when it's ready." She made her way to the kitchen, her hips swinging back and forth in her tights pants. I smiled as I got up and looked around her apartment. There was family photos all over her walls and paintings that she drew. I forgot what an artist she was. She wanted to leave and go to one of those fancy art schools but she never could after her momma died. I stopped and picked up a small frame of me in my army uniform. She was standing next to me as she hugged me goodbye. The last time we saw each other.

I remembered that moment. We had spent the night before together, as she cried on my shoulder all night. I still remember the worry of not knowing if we would ever see each other again. She came up behind me "Remember that…my eyes were red and puffy fo days after that" her new Bordeaux accent was always so attractive to him.

"I do… I was just thinking about the night before I left." We chuckled "I'm surprised you still have this."

"Really?" she went back to the kitchen, she was mixing something in a bowl "I'm not." She winked at me.

I followed her into the kitchen. The cabinets were wood and painted white and the title was black and white checkered. "Can I help at all?"

"Shore, but you'll have to grab an apron." She turned back to the food.

I picked up the only apron I saw hanging and threw it on. It was pink with frills and it read _kiss the cook_ I looked up at her my arms spread out so you could clearly see the apron "Seriously…?"

She burst into laughter as I walked over to her. She couldn't talk in between her giggles "I…you…" she was laughing so hard she was crying "You look good!"

"Yeah, right" I said smiling. I grabbed her and tickled her sides. She stopped tending to her food as she tried to stop me. It felt good to laugh again.

We turned on the radio as we reminisced and cooked our meal. We even stopped to dance to a few songs as the food cooked. "I missed you, Lincoln."

I was setting the table and stopped. I felt something in me chest, I had to take a breath in. I peered around my shoulder to look at her. I smiled "I missed you too."

We ate and continued to talk. It felt good, almost normal, and I wondered if this was what it felt like to be with someone. "So, what have you been up to, Lincoln?"

I came back from my thoughts and froze at her question. _What have I been up to?_ I thought _killing, robbing, taking the city back from Marcano and seeking revenge for Sammy and Elise…normal everyday things._ What I actually said was "Not much, catching up with old friends and…uh…meeting some new ones." She nodded her head as she took another bit of her food "What about you? What are you doing to afford this place? Finally became a famous artist?"

I watched her face flush as she hesitated to answer. I studied her as her thoughts seemed to be somewhere else "I got a job down here as an entertainer." She took another bite of food.

"Oh, that's great. You working the tourist stops?"

"Something like that…" she said "Well, thank you for helping me with the meal, it was a lot of fun" she changed the subject…again. I didn't question her anymore, who was I to do that anyway.

"Of course." I helped her clear the plates.

When we were done she excused herself. "Well, I'm gonna go to bed, I actually have to go to work in the morning. You can stay up if you'd like, I got a T.V. in the other room." I nodded as she gave me a smile and disappeared into the other room.

I tried to go to bed but I ended up falling asleep on the couch watching television. I wasn't asleep long when I felt my body shaking. I looked around and I was back in Vietnam. It was dark and all I could see was the leaves and grass. I was with the rest of my platoon. Suddenly, gunshots rang through the darkness as I watched my men drop one by one. We couldn't find where they were coming from, there were too many of them. I felt myself sweating "Lincoln what do we do?" I turned and saw Donavan waiting for my direction, Suddenly, I heard Raejeanne's voice "Lincoln, Lincoln," I searched frantically for her "Raejeanne? Where are you?" my eyes popped open and I was back in her house. She was sitting next to me.

"Lincoln, are you alright?" I felt her lightly stroking my arm.

"I'm fine. I'm alright." I couldn't focus, still trying to come back from my nightmare. "You can go back to bed, I should just go." I started to get up and she grabbed my hand.

"No, Lincoln, come on." She pulled me to the guest room. When we walked in she set me on the bed. "Here, you'll feel better in a real bed." She pulled back the covers and I got underneath them. "You were dreaming about the war, weren't you?" I couldn't look at her. She ran her fingers through my hair and studied me, her eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed in worry.

She left the room for a moment. I sat there stiff and uncomfortable. I was embarrassed. This was an obvious sign that I shouldn't be with someone, bringing them trouble. I would leave as soon as she went back to bed. When she came back she carried a glass of water. She handed it to me "Here, drink some water, you'll feel better." I didn't want to take it but I could see in her eyes she wouldn't let me refuse.

"Thank you." I set the glass on the night stand and sat up "I really do apologize. I don't need to stay the night."

Then she did something I didn't expect. She got into bed with me and wrapped her arms around me. My heart was thudding.

"Rae…what are you-"

"Hush, Lincoln, and just go to bed." I felt her stroking my back. It felt good, relaxing, but I still couldn't sleep. I stared straight ahead, lost in thought. She peeked up at me "close ya damn eyes."

I chuckled as I did what I was told. After a few minutes of lying together I slowly brought my hands around her, bringing her to me. I felt calm, all the demons I had just experienced vanished. Vito was right about the feeling you get when you're with someone. I liked this feeling with Raejeanne. It felt familiar…safe. I rested my chin on her head and drifted to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

_Vito:_

"Hey, Mr. Scaletta, are you in there? Everything alright?" I woke up to banging at my door. When I opened my eyes I was laying on the floor in my office, face to face with a picture of her. I sat up quickly shoving all the trinkets back into my memory box and hiding it away for more years to come. I didn't even have time to chuckle at the irony of waking up to her face.

I cleared my throat "Ah, yeah, just a minute." I got up and went to my mirror. There was a big red blotch on my face from lying flat on the floor. _Ah, fuck_ I thought as I rubbed at it. I threw my robe around me and cracked the door "What is it?" it was just one of the guys from my rackets delivering the kickback.

"Here, Boss, from the downtown rackets." He tipped his fedora as a goodbye gesture and went down the steps.

I threw the money on the desk where it would sit until Lincoln came to pick it up. I flipped on the radio as Italian Opera music played from the speakers. I started my daily routine, trying to get back into the swing of things. I couldn't let my thoughts of _her_ drag me down. I skipped the shave, splashed some water on my face and brushed my teeth. I pulled on my slacks, threw on my favorite polo and slipped my feet into my leather loafers and I was off.

"Morning, boss" I nodded in response to the guys at the bottom of the steps as I made my way to my car. The thing that made me different from the other mob bosses was that I wasn't afraid to leave the house. I knew I had a target on my back but that wasn't going to stop me from visiting my rackets.

When I got to the bottom of the steps I was greeted by Lincoln's goofy face. He was practically glowing, smiling ear to ear ""Hey, big guy. What a surprise and what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hey, Vito." We shook hands. The kid and I had been spending a lot of time together and I was finding out just how much we had in common.

"What the fucks got you so happy?" I looked up at him and I saw it in his eyes. For some reason I felt my heart sink to the lowest cavity of my chest. He was in _love._

"I wanted to talk to you about something…" I don't think I ever saw his teeth before, he was grinning so big "think we could grab lunch?" look at those suckers. They were pearly white and so straight "Vito..?"

I looked up at him and shook my head. I chuckled "I'm sorry, sure, sure, we can get something to eat." He nodded as he playfully slapped my shoulder. I didn't know what I was feeling. I think I felt cheated, like it wasn't fair that other people got to be happy and I couldn't. _Focus, Vito._ I had to keep silently telling myself to not think about her.

We went down the street to a little diner that was perched on the corner. Everything he was telling me about this girl, Raejeanne, was coming in muffled, an echo bouncing off the walls of my skull. I was lost in my thoughts as I absently watched his mouth as he spoke. He took bites of his sandwich, the pieces of his food being ground up by his teeth. I was happy for him. I was…wasn't I? I just kept thinking about how if I was his age again, I would do it all over.

"So, thank you, Vito." I tuned back in "if it wasn't for your story I…I don't think I would've given this thing with Rae a chance."

"Oh, yeah, no problem." I felt the chip I was holding unexpectedly crush in my hand. The little pieces slipped from my fingers and sprinkled my plate. I looked up at Lincoln who was watching me with a hesitant look. I gave an awkward chuckle "Fuck'n chips, made a paper or something…so thin." Nice, Vito, real smooth.

"Anyway…" I watched his eyebrows arch up in confusions and then back down "the only thing is…I haven't told her about all this. I'm worried it might make it complicated." He looked out the window.

"Yeah, I would keep that to yourself for now." I saw the worry in his eye and I thought about my conversation with Leo those years back. He had told me it would've have worked. How he tried to balance family life and the mob and the two things just don't click. I remember the anguish I felt when he shared that wisdom but I was determined to prove him wrong. Look where that got me. "Listen, kid, you don't have to think about anything right now. Finish the job that you started and then you can decided if this is something you want to be in. You can keep them separate…keep her separate." I wasn't going to fill this kid with any self-doubt like Galante did to me.

"I will." He looked down at his food and then perked up "Oh, I got you another racket by the way. How do you feel about the Southtowns?" he grinned.

"Jesus, kid, you're really cleaning house, huh?" I popped some chips into my mouth.

"One step closer to that bastard." he smiled as he checked his watch. "Fuck, I gotta go. Listen, I'll catch you later, check out that racket if you have the time."

"I will" he got up "hey, hey, do I got a fuck'n dollar sign on my forehead, put down the money for your meal." I rubbed my thumb and pointer finger together at him.

"I got the last one, remember your standing appointment you ' _had'_ to be at?" he used air quotes, like he didn't believe me.

"Ah, fuck you." I let him go. A little reward for being clever enough to catch me in my lie. He smiled and made his way out the door.

I finished up my food and was back on the road to check out the new racket. I watched as my men spread out over the new territory. I was finally doing alright for myself and it felt good.

Marcano didn't except me to be this successful and with the help of my new friend I was becoming untouchable. I would be at the top soon enough. I started to drift as I thought about how desperate I was fifteen years ago. How horrible the feeling was when I saw the shit hole that asshole put me in charge of. I remembered thinking about how I would never have enough money to skip town and get back to her. I had to learn the hard way that it would never be possible.

July 5th 1951

I sat on one of Leo's private jets as two of his mobsters stared back at me. I was looking out the window as white puffs passed by. I closed my eyes. My whole body was numb. I thought that the next time I would see the clouds I would be in a better place. How I wish I was.

I must've dosed off because when I woke again we had landed. The two goons that were seated across from me were not towering over me "Where here." One spoke as the other stretched out a sack.

"Hey, hey what the fuck is going on? Get off of me!" I thrashed as they tied the bag over my head so I couldn't see. I continued to yell and then everything went black.

When I opened my eyes my head was killing me and I was tied to a chair. My vision cleared and I saw a figure standing in front of a window. "Vito." When the man walked into the light I could clearly see his face "I'm Sal Marcano, Welcome to New Bordeaux. I hope the boys gave you a warm southern welcome." His lips touched his drinking glass as he took a sip of his whisky. "I'd offer you a drink but… I don't wanna." A bellowing southern laugh left his throat. My eyes dropped to the floor as he continued to talk. I didn't speak.

"Don't get any funny ideas. The _only_ reason you are here is because I respect that old man far too much to deny one of his wishes. Unfortunately, that wish was to drop you on my door step like a flam'n bag of a dog shit." I heard the clicking of his expensive patent leather wig tips as they made their way closer to me. "Do I look like some kinda nanny to you?" he scoffed as he took another swig "having to babysit a grown man who don't know his place. Well, let me tell you something, boy. I ain't like Leo Glanate. I'm not some old sap looking for a son. I have son and he would have never gotten himself in this situation."

"I believe in discipline, order and respect." He stopped pacing and turned to me "Are you listening, boy?" I just continued to stare at the ground. I didn't bother proving myself to this asshole. One thing I've learned is that there is no way of changing the way people view you. No matter how hard you try. I knew how he saw me. "I said 'are you listening?" I still didn't look up. Suddenly, I felt his fingers grip my hair. He thrust my head up and back so that I was face to face with him. I clenched my jaw and let out quick pain filled breaths through my teeth. I looked him right in the eye and gave him a stare that screamed defiance. It didn't please him "When I ask you a question you answer 'yes, sir… yes, Don Marcano. Go on and say it." I refused and he tugged harder "Yes, Don Marcano."

He was inches from my face as I struggled under his grip. "SAY IT." I took in a breath and spit in his face. He stepped back, furious, as he wiped the spit from his ugly mug. His guards when to discipline me but he stopped them. He chuckled insanely "You sure are a piece of work, Scaletta." He relieved a devious smile that quickly faded from his face as he gave me a good slap across the mouth. It almost knocked the chair over. "You _will_ show respect even if we have to beat it into you. Now…" He poured himself another drink. "You'll be in charge of River Row. You know where River Row is?" I spit out blood from my mouth "Of course you don't ya carpetbagger." Another swig followed by the flicker of his lighter as he lit a cigar "It's a dumpy little place, brings in only $300 a week. I've sent my best men to try and turn that place around but no one succeeded. It's a shit hole. So I guess it's perfect for a pile of crap such as yourself" another sinister laugh as he gave his guards the signal to get me out of his office. "Well, thank you for dropping in Vito. It's been a pleasure."

The air was thick with the smell of fish, I almost gagged. There was an empty restaurant with a sign that read "Benny's," and to my right was a huge fish packing warehouse. I was given a small tour that ended at my new apartment. It was above the restaurant and had a totally of 2 rooms, a kitchen and a small bath. The wood paneling was pealing, the bathroom title was thick with mold and soap scum and the kitchen was so small it could barely fit one person. The bedroom had nothing but a mattress and a blanket on the floor. "This is it…?" I said to the two body guards that ushered me through the tour.

"The rest of the stuff will arrive tomorrow…maybe." They turned to leave.

"Hey, hey, come on, guys. This is a fucking joke. I'm a made man, here. I at least deserve sanitary living conditions." They looked at each other and chuckled and made their way out the door. I sighed and went to the bedroom. I stretched out on the mattress, my legs and arms sprawled out. _Jesus Christ, it's hot as balls in this fucking city._ I fell asleep trying to think of a plan to get out of this place.

Months went by as my multiple attempts to escape failed. That's when the daily beating came in. My life became very routine. I woke up, got a beating, left to think about what I had done, and then another beating. I refused to give up. I was going to get out of here and get back to Rosa. I had to.

One day, in the midst of my beating, I was greeted by the Don himself. "Vito, Vito, you dumb piece of shit. It's been months, why don't you just give up?" the mobsters threw me to the floor. My face was bloody and beaten and I didn't have the strength to get up so I just lay there. "Look at you, you poor stupid mother fucker. All this for some broad." I perked up as I used all my strength to lift my head to face him "Now, I have your attention." He took out a photo of her. It looked like she was shopping. She looked good, she looked like she was trying to live, like I asked her to do. "After I saw you beaten, and beaten but continued to get back up and try to skip town was shocking to me. So, I did a little research. What was driving this insane bastard to continue his feeble attempts to escape? Well and behold my detective brought me this picture." He showed me another image of her left hand that was decorated with her wedding ring. "You are taking _until death do we part_ a little too seriously. Well, Vito, consider yourself died, because I can promise that you to will _never_ see each other again." He stepped over me as he grabbed a cigar from one of his mobsters. "I had to get more info about this so I called our good friend Leo. He told me to leave the girl alone, but like I told you when you first graced us all with your presence, I ain't Leo Galnete." He blew smoke in my face as he pulled me back on to my chair. "If you continue to escape, rat me out to the commission and try to sabotage me and my plans, I will kill this little dame of yours."

"NO!" I screamed as blood projected from my quivering lips.

He laughed at my desperate cries "54 main, isn't that right?" he saw the pleading look in my eyes "the address of your little honey." He put out his cigar on my cheek. I let out a yelp in pain "Fall in line, Vito. Do as I say and will not have a problem. I tried to warn you who you was dealing with." He started for the door "let's go boys and leave young Vito here to think about his poor behavior."

The picture of her gently floated to the ground as he released it from his grip. They shut the warehouse door and I was left in the dark, the only thing to be heard was me weeping as I repeatedly spoke her name.


	5. Chapter 5

_Lincoln:_

I checked in with the mob boss and collected my kick back. My relationship with each one grew stronger by the day. I was still the closest with Vito. It had been a couple of days since our awkward lunch. I thought about the face he made when I had told him about Raejeanne. I didn't understand why I got that reaction, could he really still be upset by his lost love? It wasn't my fault. Am I supposed to not find love? He was the one who told me the value in being with someone you care about.

These last couple of weeks with Raejeanne were amazing. After a horrible day being a murder and a thief, it felt good to spend the night with her, like I was normal. I could understand why Vito would still be upset. Especially knowing that she was still out there and the mob was the only thing standing in the way of being together.

I parked my car and hopped up the steps two by two. I knocked on the door but there wasn't an answer. It was unlocked so I saw myself in "Hey, Vito… are you here?" I heard the showing running.

"Yeah, I'll be done in a minute. The cash in its usual spot." He called from the bathroom.

I walked to the desk and picked up the envelope, it was pretty heavy "Not bad…" I said to myself as I tucked it in my back pocket. When I looked down I noticed a photo lying under the desk. I reached down to get it. The back was facing up and it read _Rosa, Honeymoon 1951_. I thought for a second and realized quickly that this was her. I flipped it over and the photo revealed a beautiful girl. Her hair fell a little past her shoulders in waves. She had big eyes and full lips. Her smile was mesmerizing. She was standing in the water, staring past the camera at the guy taking the photo. _Rosa_ I thought, he had never spoken her name in the few weeks I'd known him, but now I knew.

Suddenly the photo was ripped from my hands. When I looked up Vito was standing there with a face of fury "What the fuck are you doing snooping around in my stuff, huh?" he quickly took the photo and threw it in his desk draw, slamming it shut.

"I wasn't, I saw it on the floor and-"

"And what? Thought it was a good idea to check it out? The only thing you are a loud to touch in _my_ office is the envelope of money that I leave in this spot" he angrily tapped the desk. "Now, I got a lot of work to do today, so you better go." He took the towel and rubbed at his hair, making his way back to the bathroom.

"Hey!" I yelled. He stopped in his tracks and turned to me. The tone in my voice shocking him "I'm not going to be spoken to like that. I did nothing wrong and you've been in a bad mood for a while now and I'm sick of it." I looked him in the eye, he stared back "I know what this is about. I get it now. It must suck to have lost her this way. Losing her with still having her under the same sky but that is _not_ my fault."

He stared back a few moments longer and then his eyes dropped to the floor. He threw the towel around his neck and walked closer to me "I'm sorry, Kid. You're right." He walked past me to the liquor cabinet and poured himself something to drink. He offered me some but I politely refused. "Ever since I brought her up that first night with you…I haven't been able to stop thinking about her. About my whole situation." He took a sip and let out a breath "You probably think I'm some kind of pussy." He chuckled "when you had something like that" he gestured to the photo that was hidden away in his desk "It's hard to forget about." He set down his cup and pulled the picture back out and studied it. He had a small smile spread across his face. "Happiest moment of my life right here. Finally thought we had made it out." He looked up at me "you know those bastards tracked us all the way to the Bahamas. Showed up right at Joe's front door." He shook his head and tossed the photo my way "Here, get rid of that for me. God knows I can't do it and having it lay around here isn't a good idea."

"Vito…I…"

"One more favor, huh?" he smiled at me and disappeared into his bedroom.

I stared back at the women in the photo for a second, then it hit me. _54 main St, Golden Bay, California._ I tucked it in my pocket and yelled goodbye to, Vito. I knew what I was going to do with this.

 _Later that night_

Raejeanne answered the door with a smile. I bent down and kissed her. "Hi, big boy. You hungry, dinners on the table."

"I could eat" I grinned as we made our way to the kitchen. "How was work?" I asked.

"It was fine." She stared at her food as I watched her. I still didn't know exactly what she did and every time I asked I got short answers like that and then a change in subject. "How was your day?"

"It was good." Then I answered her questions like that so, who was I to judge. "I stopped to talk with my friend…Vito, I told you about him."

"Oh that's right" she put down her fork as she looked off, trying to remember "He is the one with the wife that thinks he died in the war, right? And he doesn't want to get in contact with her because he thinks his PTSD would be too much of a strain on their relationship."

"Yeah that's right." I had to remind myself to thank Donovan for coming up with that elaborate story later. "Well…I think I'm going to write her…for him."

She looked at me and smiled "Lincoln, that's so sweet." She kissed my cheek "…but do you really think it's a good idea to mess around in someone else's relationship?"

She was right, I did think about the consequences but honestly the idea of Vito seeing her and being happy again seemed to outweigh them. Plus, with Vito basically disconnected from Marcano's family, this might be the best opportunity for him to finally get the hell out of here. He had the money now and with me writing the letter there was no way Marcano's men could intercept it. There was nothing holding him back, soon (thanks to me) not even Marcano will be around to control him "He needs this."

She saw the confidence in my eyes and she agreed "You know better than me."

"Well…I was wondering if you could help me write the letter. I'm not great with all that sappy stuff." She almost jumped out of her seat with excitement.

"Oh, how romantic! I would love too!" she was already searching for paper to put in her typewriter.

I chuckled at her enthusiasm as I got up from my chair and I wrapped my hands around her waist "Eat first, then we can write it."

She tugged at my hands "Oh, but Lincoln! I have so many things to say already!"

"Come on" I laughed as I got her to make her way back to the table.

"Alright, let's get started" we sat down next to each other and started to type. I wrote the first line "I have been away from you for too many years. I was forced to stay out of contact with you by…them, but I can't any longer"

She stopped me "wait… who is _them_?" she inquired

"Uh… his inner demons."

"Oh my, that's heartbreaking." I let out a small sigh of relief that she bought that. "Oh, put in that some days he felt so helpless, like he couldn't go on."

"That's good" I said as I typed what she said. I looked at her sitting next to me at the table, helping me write this love letter and I felt genuinely happy. A feeling that had been absent from me for a long time.

She looked up at me "What…?" her big brown eyes sparkled.

"Nothing." I said as I kissed her lips lightly. She smiled and rested her head on my shoulder as we continued to write.

 _Dear Rosa,_

 _I have been away from you for too many years and it has left me broken. I was forced to stay out of contact with you by…them, but I can't any longer. I need you to know that these years without you have been the worst I've ever faced. There are days that I feel like I can't go on, but knowing you are alive and well keeps me hanging on. The hope that one day we may see each other._

 _I will explain everything to you when I see you. My address is written on the back of the photo I took of you when we were at our happiest. There is also a plane ticket to Louisiana._

 _Hurry._

 _With all my love,_

 _Vito_


	6. Chapter 6

_Lincoln:_

I was pacing the parking lot as I waited for Vito outside of the warehouse. I knew he was having a meeting with Alma and I needed to talk to him. I watched him pull up and exit his car "Wow, what a treat" He fixed his fedora "two days in a row I get to see you." He lit a cigarette "what's the trouble? You coming to the meeting?" he let out a puff of smoke.

I hesitated in telling him about what I had planned. This was a mistake, he would only be angry and then nervous at the idea. I had to come up with an excuse for seeing him "I…uh…just wanted to let you know I got rid of that picture."

He looked off over the water and then smiled as he dropped his cig, putting it out with his toe "Well, thank you for that. Anything else?" he looked at the men standing a few feet from us from under the rim of his hat. I could tell he was worried about other people hearing. He knew that was his weakness and didn't want anyone to know.

"Yeah, that was it." I started to get into my car. I eyed his hat "You keeping that thing on all day?"

He looked at me and then raised an eyebrow, his eyes moved up as he tried to look at his hat "Probably…?"I went to grab it, trying to peek at his hair "Hey, hey, what's the big idea?" he swatted me away. Again his eyes went to the men that were now staring "Can you not be fruity out in public…thank you." He straightened himself up, resting his hands on his hips.

"Sorry" I put my hands up in surrender "it's just…when you wear a hat you have hat hair."

"Oh, you don't say? Thank you, Captain obvious-"

"And that shirt…don't you have a button up? That polo is dating you."

"Alright, alright, what is the sudden interest in my looks? Do I look like some kinda chooch to you, huh?"

I chuckled like I was purposely trying to annoy him "you're too easily bothered, man. You gotta lighten up. Well, I let you get to your meeting" I waved bye as I drove off down the road. I was going to be late to the airport. I watched Vito in the review mirror shake his head and enter the warehouse. He would thank me later.

 _Rosa:_

 _What the hell was I thinking?_ I was putting myself in a frenzy as I watched the sun peek through the clouds. Look at me, jumping on a plane in less than 24 hours, putting my whole life on hold to follow this address that could ultimately lead to my demise. I felt my ears pop as I striped a piece of gum from its wrapper and popped it into my mouth. I hadn't been on a plane since…since my honeymoon.

This was a stupid idea. This could be a trap. My stomach has been churning since yesterday when I opened that letter. _Vito, my Vito, was still alive._ It was unbelievable, that's why I still doubted it. The only thing that made me go was that picture of me. Who else would have that? I rested my head back against the seat as I closed my eyes. I took in deep steady breaths trying to calm myself. After a moment I touched my cheek and felt a wet droplet that slid down my face and rested on my chin before dripping off. I watched it soak into my skirt. This was really happening. I was going to see Vito. My heart had been in shambles since the day we left each other. I thought he was gone forever, but he still shared the planet with me this whole time.

My thoughts were interrupted by the stewardess "Ma'am, would you care for a drink?"

It took me a moment to realize she was talking to me. I absently smiled at her and refused. She started to push the cart away "Wait…" she stopped "Actually, can I have a martini please, straight up. Thank you…" a little something to take the edge off.

A couple martini's in, I fell asleep and didn't wake until we landed. My head felt a little groggy as I quickly realized we were departing the plane. I shoved through the crowd that was exiting the plane as I made my way into the bathroom. I shut the door and stared at my complexion. I got out my powered and freshened my lipstick, ran my fingers through my hair and then stopped. I looked closer at the lines on my face, the dullness of my hair color and eyes. _This really wasn't a good idea._ I was 38 going on 39. It had been fifteen years since I had seen him and life had worn me down to nothing. The sheer trauma of losing him those years ago had swallowed my spirit. The depression and anxiety had chewed me up and spit me out, leaving me this shell of a women. I opened my wallet and counted the cash, maybe I would have enough to buy a ticket back to California. I shoved my wallet back into my purse with force and then I heard a _clink_ as I looked down. It was Vito's wedding band. I picked it up and examined it, seeing my reflection in its golden surface. I squeezed it in my hand and closed my eyes. What was I thinking? Of course this was a good idea. It had been the best idea I had in years. Once I got off this plane I would see him and the suffering of my past wouldn't matter anymore. I swung my purse over my shoulder and exited the tiny bathroom with my head held high.

When I entered the airport I looked around, figuring I would see Vito. After a few moments I realized he wasn't here. _That's strange_ I thought to myself. Then I locked eyes with a tall, very large black boy. He was wearing a military jacket, I figured he was a solider coming back from war. He didn't break eye contact as I gripped my purse and started for the exit. Maybe Vito didn't come get me because he had already provided me the address. I dug in my purse for the photo as I continued to walk, my heels clicking on the concrete. I felt him behind me. His large presence was hard to miss.

I felt his hand reach for my shoulder and I quickly turned and grabbed his wrist. I twisted his arm behind his back in a half Nelson. I pulled out my small blade and held it to his back "One wrong move and you'll have a knife deep in your back." He stayed completely calm, clearly having experience in combat "Who are you working for?"

"Vito Scaletta… well actually he is working for me."

I loosened my grip "What…?"

"I'm Lincoln Clay, I know Vito. I was going to take you to him."

"How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know you don't have him locked up somewhere, huh?" I watched him let out a deep chuckle.

"He wasn't lying when he said you weren't like other woman. It's pretty impressive how easily you put a 200 plus pound man in a half nelson" he eyed my shoes from the corner of his eye "and in heels too."

I released him and put my knife back in my purse "So…he really is alive?" my heart was thudding just talking about him.

"Yes" he rubbed his wrist "He doesn't know you're here though." I furrowed my eye brows as I gave him a confused look.

"…but he wrote to me"

"I wrote to you." He started walking towards a black muscle car that I assumed was his "Vito is helping me with a…project of mine. He's a good guy. Told me about you on one of the first nights we got to know each other." He held the car door open for me, I was a little taken back by his kindness. "Recently, I found your picture. He wanted me to get rid of it, he has been struggling lately with the memory of you. I figured with everything currently going on in his life, it would be a good time to finally see you."

I was a little peeved "Why didn't he reach out to me himself?" We started down the road as I crossed my arms.

"He is in a bit of a bad way with…" I could tell he was watching what information he let out "Listen, it's complicated, you of all people should know that. He was doing what he thought was best…under the circumstances."

I didn't argue with him. Honestly, I didn't care what the reason was. I was going to see him and that's all that mattered. I watched the buildings go by. The architecture of this foreign state filled me with interest. It started to change as we drove on. We had left the tourist destinations and started to enter the seedy part of town. We pulled through the gates and past them was a warehouse on a dock. I read the flashing sign "Benny's" and then the car came to a halt. "This is it?" I started to feel uneasy. Maybe this guys just had an elaborate story.

"Yup" he got out of the car and held the door open for me "he is usually out at this time, but if you wait in his office he'll be here soon."

"His office?" I said as I examined the place more closely.

"It's right up these stairs" I followed him up the two flights as he unlocked the door. "I wish I could stay but I have some business to take care of. It was really nice meeting you, Ma'am."

I nodded as I looked around the office. My heart was rapidly beating, _this was his._ I knew it just by looking at it. I smelled him in the air. I heard the door open and I turned "Thank you, Lincoln" my eyes were already starting to water. He gave me a friendly smile as he shut the door. I heard him walk down the steps. I went to explore the rest of the small apartment. My fingers lightly caressed the bed spread as I looked at the photo's he had above his head board. They were old war photos, family photos, and him and Joe. I lightly touched them as a smile spread across my face. I went back to the office and sat down in the chair. I looked around and then my eyes landed on the photo album. I picked it up carefully and gently flipped through the pages. There he was. Preserved in time, the way I remembered him. My finger lightly touched his face as I stared into the photos eyes. A small grin appeared on my lips. I set it down and sat back in the office chair. I held my hand to my mouth as I looked around.

 _What was happening_ …? I shook my head in disbelief. We had cheated death so many times. Fate had us in an endless tug-a-war. The back and forth of being together, then ripped apart. It was unfair and I couldn't take it anymore. My heart couldn't take it anymore. If we met again, I wasn't leaving alone. I promised myself that. I bit my bottom lip, trying to hold back the tears. Suddenly, I heard a car door slam. I looked up, my mouth hanging a jar. _Was that him?_ I listened closely as I heard the muffle of his voice as his footsteps made it up the steps. _It's him…_ I rose slowly from the chair still holding my hand to my mouth. I walked closer to the door. My bottom lip was quivering. My heart was pounding, palms sweating. My limps were numb. I thought about the many nights alone, missing him, crying myself to sleep and now he was here. After all these years he was here. The only thing between us noe was the front door of his apartment.

My eyes were fixated on the door as it opened and then he was… _there_. Right in front of me. I sucked in a deep breath as I pressed my hand to my mouth. My vision was clouded by tears and I tried to stop myself because I needed to see him. There was silence as he stared at me in complete disbelief. Then I let out a loud cry as we ran to each other. We embraced, holding each other so tight. I couldn't catch my breath as I groped at him; feeling his skin, his lips, trying to catch up for the years I wasn't able to touch him. He was so warm. I buried my head into his neck as I felt his body shake and tremble from cries. He let out deep quiet sobs as our bodies practically became one. I closed my eyes as I took in his scent. I felt his large hand caressing my head, then land gently at the nape of my neck. We both were weak as we fell to the floor, crying in each other's arms.

"Vito…" I pulled away gripping his face in my hands. His cheeks were glistening from the tears and his eyes were red. "Vito." I said with more security as I studied him like a piece of art. I looked up at his hat and reached to remove it from his head. It revealed a thick tuft of messy salt and pepper hair. I ran my fingers through it and giggled. He was still so handsome. Now he was more distinguished, wiser looking.

That was him. My Vito. It didn't matter that his face was creased with light lines or that his hair was greying. I knew it was him by the way he looked at me. And his smile, even though flanked by laugh lines, it was his and I took comfort in it. I moved to the next familiar part of his face. My thumb found the scar by his jaw and caressed it. I leaned in and placed my lips on it, kissing it. Then I kissed his nose and his other cheek and then hovered centimeters from his lips. We shared the same breath. Then we kissed. It was long and passionate and full of the lost years we both suffered through. I felt my body ignite. Every part of me tingled with the excitement of being his again. We breathed wildly as we continued to put our lips together and apart. We parted and he grabbed my face looking into my eyes. We were connected on a level deeper than I had ever felt. We were reading each other's soul, the chapter where we both pined for one another's company again.

I crawled into his lap as he warped his arms around me. "Don't ever leave me, again" I let out a loud moan, unable to control my emotions "Please...please, please" I sobbed into his chest, he pulled me closer as I felt his lips kiss the top of my head. I was safe, warm and happy. I felt like I was finally… _home._

 _Vito:_

I leaned against the door frame and lightly caressed her back as she slept on my chest. I rested my chin on her head as I was lost in thought. _Was this really happening? Was she really right here, sound asleep in my arms?_ I watched the light die out from the sky through the window. We had been holding each other for hours. I looked down on her, she was sleeping so peacefully. I slowly started to slip from underneath her. I got up and threw her arm around my neck trying not to wake her "Vito?" her eyes fluttered as I shushed her to go back to sleep "Where are you going, don't leave." She clung to me as I brought my arm underneath her legs and scooped her up.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise" I smiled as I kissed her cheek. I carried her to the bed and gently set her down. I took off her heels and pulled back the covers as I got in next to her. I placed my hand underneath her, wrapping my arms around her. She unconsciously snuggled back into my chest. I brushed her hair back and rubbed my finger lightly up and down her cheek. I watched her mouth curl up at the corners.

I watched her as she slept. Her hair was in a large bun with a few curls hanging from the side of her face. She was clothed in a pale pink pencil dress and her lips were painted in a matching shade. She was beautiful. Fifteen years and she hadn't changed a bit. There was one thing about her though. She wasn't the same self-conscious and unsure girl I met in the Maltese Falcone. The one who was treated like trash and felt like it. She was a _women_. A classy, strong, independent woman that carried _herself_ through the darkest time in her life and came out looking untouched. She was impeccable and I still couldn't believe she was mine, again.

Her left hand rested lightly on my chest next to her lips. There it was, our wedding ring. I assumed she never took it off. I let out a sigh of relief knowing that no other man had stolen her from me. At least, I hoped not. My eyes started to feel heavy as the emotion from today exhausted me. I kissed her forehead one last time and drifted to sleep, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.


	7. Chapter 7

The morning sun peeked through the blinds as Rosa and I lay kissing in my bed. Her lips were so soft, each kiss tenderer than the next. We had been up cuddling together since dawn. I hummed in satisfaction as I pulled away "how about I make us some breakfast?"

She pouted as she pulled a face "no, let's stay in bed. Besides, I'm not hungry." She kissed me again and I chuckled. I stared at her for a moment as the morning light made her blue eyes sparkle "what?" She asked.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" I squeezed her hand that was resting in my palm.

She laughed as she looked down "no, I'm not" she grunted "I don't look the same as that girl from the photo."

"What photo...?" I questioned.

"The photo that you took of me on the beach on our honeymoon. When I found it in the letter I knew you had to be alive." Then it hit me. So that's what Lincoln did with the photo and that's why he was so concerned with the way I looked yesterday. I smiled to myself. That bastard. It had been the first coherent thought I'd made in the last 24 hours. The only thing I could focus on was the beautiful creature laying in front of me.

"You haven't changed a bit" we kissed again before being interrupted by the sound of her growling stomach. I pulled apart as we both eyed her tummy. "You _really_ haven't changed a bit, more stubborn than ever." She giggled "come on, up we go. Time to feed you." I kissed her forehead before leaving the bed.

She rolled over and moaned "you're probably right." She sat up, her hair flopped over in a big ball. She looked at her clothes "I should probably change" then she perked up as her eyes popped open "Oh my… I forgot to pack clothes!"

I looked at her in disbelief "come on, are you serious? How could you forget that?!"

"I don't know, I just read that letter and my mind went blank...I feel so stupid."

"Don't feel stupid" I pulled her chin up with my thumb and pointer finger "I guess we're going shopping, that's all." She smiled at my understanding. "First we eat."

"You spoil me, Scaletta." She bit her bottom lip.

"Well, get used to it. I have 15 years to make up for." I winked at her as I left the room.

I started to get out the pans and eggs as she appeared in the doorway, leaning her head on the door frame as she admired me "is this what this was supposed to be like, waking up next to you? "

I grinned "how does it feel?"

She took in a breath and smiled "wonderful" she watched me a few moments longer then made her way to me. I felt her hands massage my back. "It smells good" she moved her arms around my body as she rested her head on my back. "I'm so happy we're together again." She whispered.

"Happy doesn't begin to describe how I feel." I turned and gave her a light kiss on the lips. I groaned "I will _never_ get tired of that." She giggled as I went to the table and dished out the eggs on our plates.

 _Rosa:_

We sat and ate breakfast in his tiny kitchen as the early morning sun beams danced on the table and floor. I listened to him talk about what he had planned for us today. I watched his composer, listened to his voice and realized there was something different about Vito.

His expressions were more animated and not like his usual cold and analytical stare. The one that you could studied for hours and still never know what he was thinking. His voice was raspier, which I guess came with age, and he was more vocal than he used to be. He reminded me more of Joe but a more serious version. I titled my head as I continued to listen and observe, then he stopped and looked at me. _Shoot, I've been caught_ I thought.

"You're not listening to me." After all this time he still knew me so well.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, I was just…nothing, never mind" I stabbed a few egg pieces with my fork and brought them to my mouth.

"Come on, tell me. What were you thinking?" he leaned in, smiling. I wouldn't budge as he went to play footsie with me "Come on, tell me, tell me."

I giggled "Stop…" I covered my mouth with my hand as I swallowed my food "I'm just noticing a few things that are different about you."

"Oh...? Like what?" he was interested to know.

"Just little inflections in your voice. You talk a lot" I crinkled my nose as I smirked at him. "You remind me… of…" I was afraid to say his name, but if Vito was still alive I figured he was too "…Joe." I looked at him and watched his smile fade. His mouth dropped so low I thought it was going to fall from his chin. He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms "What's wrong?" I questioned.

He took a breath and picked up his plate "Nothing…are you done?" he went for my plate and before I could give him an answer, I watched it lift in front of me and swerve to the sink.

"Vito." I got up and walked to him. I touched his shoulder "What happened?" my stomach was churning as I watched his arm vigorously scrub the plate. I could tell by his reaction that what he was going to tell me was nothing good.

He threw the plate down and whipped the sweat from his brow "Dammit" he said. "Joe… Joe's….dead."

The words sat heavy in my ears. I saw him grip the sink "Oh, Vito…" I hugged him tight. He looked out the window as he told me the story. It was horrifying. How could anyone do that to a person, especially a fun loving guy like Joe? He didn't deserve that.

"The worst part is… I couldn't save him. I thought…maybe…" he sighed as he hung his head.

"Vito, don't! Do not blame yourself." I looked deep into his eyes so he could see how serious I was. I wanted to hear more of his story, but I didn't want to press him. He would tell me when he was ready. I kissed him "Please…"

He took a breath "You're right." He held me in his arms for a few moments longer. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his rapid heartbeat slow. My presences calmed him just like his did for me. "Those fuckers got theirs. My good friend took care of them."

I looked up at him, still holding on to him "Lincoln?"

He was surprised I knew his name "Yeah…how did you know that? Did I say his name?"

I laughed "No, he picked me up from the airport. He told me he wrote me because you were very upset recently."

I saw him blush as he looked away "He's a good kid. First guy I've met in a long time that is true to his word."

"He has done a lot for you…for _us_. We should invite him to dinner so we can, _properly,_ get to know each other." I suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. He has been going with a girl, we can invite her too." We were still holding each other.

"Hey…what business are you helping him with?" I inquired as he released me to go back to the dishes

I saw him stop for a moment and then continue washing the ceramic circles "it's complicated. I'll tell you, don't worry about it." I pouted my lips but didn't probe anymore. I trusted he would tell me soon.

The rest of the morning was fine. The conversations were light and mostly about how much we loved one another. I helped him wash dishes as he playful splashed water at me and I hit him with the dish rag. After that he got dressed to go shopping. I told him I would wait downstairs. I wanted to explore the place he lived these years we were without each other.

I hopped down the steps as I looked over the water at the city. Minus the intense smile of fish, it was a beautiful spot. I greeted the two mobsters at the steps "Good Morning." They followed me with their eyes, nodding in response. I peeked into the warehouse, leaving as soon as I realized it was nothing but dead fish and contraband. Then I went to the small shed that read "office." There was nothing there but a desk and on it was a newspaper article about the oddly placed restaurant Vito lived above. I read _4 stars_ at the top as the rest of the article raved about homemade meatballs and catfish scaloppini. I walked across the boardwalk to the restaurant and looked around inside. It was nautical themed with a touch of Italian features. My hands lightly caressed the wooden tables as I noticed the "closed for renovation" signs. Then on the wall hung a picture of Vito shaking hands with an important looking man. _Who was that?_ I wondered, but my thoughts were interrupted by Vito's voice.

"That's the bastard who controlled me for the last fifteen years." I turned to face him, he continued "Sal Marcano…" he chuckled in disgust "…'good kid, Leo's father knew him,'…" He mimicked the words that were not his own "more like the biggest cocksucker you've ever met."

"You both looked pretty friendly here." I pointed to the photograph. He walked closer, observing the picture and reliving the moment.

He scoffed "he was pissed but he could put a smile on for the papers. The local "businessman" had to be recognized for his investment. I had turned this shit hole into a legitimate business and he resented me for it. I knew how badly he wanted me to fail so that he could just get rid of me." He was lost in a memory "I was sick of the usual mafia bullshit. The dope, the illegal contraband…I just wanted an honest to goodness business."

"I never knew you wanted to open a restaurant" I said to him.

"Yeah, well I needed a hobby to take my mind off of things and cooking was a good outlet." He paused "you know… the only reason I busted my ass to open this place was so that I could make money to skip town and see you."

My heart skipped a beat. I never got tired of hearing how he never stopped trying to get to me "What happened…?"

He sighed "…bastard Marcano had me shut the place down. Said there was too much traffic and that there were too many folks snooping around. Wanted to use it for more "useful endeavors" …turned it into a processing and packing plant for fish and inside those crates of fish were a ton of illegal substances…" he shook his head "the mother fucker made it his mission to destroy every ounce of happiness I ever had."

I hated seeing him in pain. I so badly wished I could turn back time so he never had to experience the things he did. He was strong, but I could see the years of torture had jaded him. I entwined my fingers in his as I swung his arm "Could Benny's reopen for a special customer? I would love to try the famous fist sized meatballs" he smiled and my heart thudded in my chest. I loved seeing that smile. "I could even help you clean the place up."

He kissed my hand "absolutely, but first I take you out on the town."

I gripped his arm and stared at him in the Louisiana sun. He was even more gorgeous in the natural light. I did notice his under eyes were dark, like he had a lot of stress these years he lived here. He held the door open for me as we got in his dull blue car. We drove down the street with the music blasting and the windows down. My hair whipped around in the wind as I laughed with so much joy, singing along to the Beatles and CCR with Vito. It felt good to be happy again, after being miserable for so long. There had been so many dark days that I forgot how good it felt to have your cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

He took me to the shopping district in Downtown. The street was beautiful. A mix of old southern buildings and modern store fronts. We went to a huge department store named "Buck's; Quality clothing" where I tried dress after dress. Vito was actually active in my shopping spree, picking out dresses for me to try on and accessories that would match. He sat on the dressing room couch as I spun and twirled in each beautiful fabric. Then I took his hands as I pulled him to the men's section. As much as I loved his fedora and polo shirts I wanted to dress him in something a little nicer.

We left the store with 5 new dress shirts and slacks for him and four new outfits for me, including the new one I put on to replace my wrinkled pale pink dress. We held hands as the store associate took our bags, dropping them off at our car. I clung to him as my mind drifted to the memories in Empire Bay. He would always surprise me with new dresses just because. I chuckled to myself, remembering how much I hated wearing skirts or dresses because I thought I would lose respect from the mobsters in the family. I was ashamed of my womanhood. Then _Vito_ came along. He showed me how a woman should've been treated. He showed me my self-worth. I pulled myself closer to him, realizing how lucky I was to have found him and be with him again.

I think the French Ward was my favorite. Jazz music played on almost every corner. The sounds of the trumpet and saxophone filled my ears. It was a beautiful city at times and so inspiring. The intricate art deco designs and colors were breath taking.

I admired him as we strolled down the street, he laughed "You are supposed to be looking around you, not at me."

"I am, I can take a break and admire you too." he smiled.

We walked past the statue of Andrew Jackson and found a small café by the water. I sat down as Vito order us coffee. What a beautiful day. "Here you go" he set down the cup in front of me. We both sipped our coffee in silence "…I invited Lincoln and his girl over for dinner tonight."

I hummed in acceptance as I continued to stare ahead "Vito… what happened that day in that beach house when I left down the street? When I thought you were dead. Why did it take so long for us to meet? Why now, isn't there still some kind of danger?" I leaned in and whispered angrily "I mean you are obviously still in the mob." I sat back "I need to know, I can't keep making casual small talk about the weather and the art deco architecture of the city, anymore. We need to talk about it."

He looked around as he leaned in closer to me "alright, alright, calm down." He sighed "Leo, took pity on me by sending me down here. He had Sal keep an eye on me like a fucking babysitter. When I tried to make multiple attempts to run he hired a P.I. to find you. He threatened to kill you if I did anything else to cause trouble for him and his operation." He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face "I had daily beatings because I was too fucking stubborn to just retreat with my tail between my legs. When they found you…I had to stop.

Ever since then Sal never liked me. He gave me that shit hole to run and squeezed me dry for years making it impossible for me to have any money. Then he figured, if I wasn't paying my dues then he could convince the commission to kill me, no problem. About a month back Lincoln actually saved me from being wacked once and for all by Marcano's nephew" he struggled to summarize the large chunk of his life "Lincoln has a whole other story, but to make it short, Marcano betrayed and killed his only family and he is seeking revenge and asked for my help and two other mob leaders in the area.

…I didn't contact you because I wasn't sure if I would even be a live in the next couple of months. Between Marcano and Lincoln I wasn't sure who to trust and I didn't want to make it hard on you by resurrecting from the dead just to get killed for real." He looked down, the brim of his fedora covered his eyes "I couldn't bring you into this life again. You deserved so much more, that I just couldn't give you. Hopefully…soon… Lincoln will finish this whole thing and I can be a free man…before Marcano gets to me himself."

I was in complete shock. I sat silent for a while trying to take it all in "Vito, I'm sorry…I didn't realize."

"It's fine. I had to tell you eventually." He finished the last of his coffee as he looked out at the horizon. "It was the hardest thing in my life, being away from you. I felt trapped…I _was_ trapped. It was a horrible thing; to have everyone you loved banished from your life; Joe, you, my sister." I was at a loss for words. I just sat there like an idiot. He checked his watch "shit, we better head back. They'll be at the dock soon."

"Vito…I…" we stood as I still couldn't form words. All I could do was go to him and hold him, so that's what I did. He kissed my head as we parted and headed back to the restaurant.

 _Vito:_

Rosa came into the kitchen and smiled at me "Oh you are so sexy when you're cooking" she kissed my cheek as I thanked her. "The table is set and everything is ready. I'm just going to run upstairs for a second. Be right back…"

I heard her footsteps up the stairs "Crap, I don't have any more pepper down here. Hey Rosa," I called to her but she must've already been in the apartment. I followed her up and walked to the kitchen "Hey Rosa, can you grab the wine-" I stopped talking when I realized she was in the bedroom. The door was shut and I could hear her talking.

It was muffled and I got the end of the conversation "just wanted to check in… I made it safe... Okay, love you, sweetie...bye."

My chest ached as I looked at the floor in complete dismay. _"Love you, Sweetie"_ I thought. Who could she be talking to? I shook my head. Maybe it's her neighbor or maybe she bought a dog and wanted it to hear her voice. She couldn't be with someone else. She just couldn't be.

I heard her coming and quickly ducked down to the kitchen cabinet. She exited the room and abruptly stopped when she saw me "Oh…Vito, how long have you-"

I cut her off as I grabbed the pepper "I had to grab some more pepper and the wine I had up here. I tried to call to you but you didn't respond"

"Oh, sorry I was…in the bathroom." She patted down her dress "Do you want me to take something?"

"No, I'm good." I stomped down the steps as she followed behind me. She _couldn't_ be seeing some else, could she?


	8. Chapter 8

_Lincoln:_

I slowly shut the door behind me and gently walked down the steps, trying to stay quiet. I was on the French Ward streets before the sun had risen in the sky. I drove down to the Bayou and parked in front of the old plantation house. I was late and I knew they would be angry.

I strode through the door. I stood tall with my chest out "Sorry, I'm late. If that upsets you… I can't say I give a shit." I sat down, the seat across from me was empty.

"For fucks sake, Boy-o, what the hell is going on? You've been given out these districts _way_ to far apart. I'm not sure what's distracting you but this is a timely job. Marcano's men will move in quick if you let 'em." Burke leaned in, slamming his hand on the table.

"Yeah and where the hell is that grease ball?" Cassandra threw her hand in the direction of Vito's seat. "We ain't stupid, Lincoln. We see the time you spend with that gangster. Ya'll better not get your personal lives in the way of what we're try'n to do here."

"I didn't ask for either of yours opinions. Don't worry about Scaletta we don't need him for this district anyway. I'm giving it to Burke. With Olivia in the hospital I think you can run Frisco Fields for her. Besides, she won't last the night."

He let out a loud Irish holler "That's what I like to hear!"

" _Dammit"_ Cassandra slammed a fist on the wooden table "I've been faithful, Lincoln. My men have done right by you and I come to every one of these damn meetings and still get nothing. Maybe I should stop showing up like, Scaletta." She abruptly got up causing a loud noise from her chair rubbing against the wood floor, and stormed out.

I shook my head as I got up as well. Burke touched my shoulder "Sorry to yell at ya, Clay but I'm serious. If we don't get these jobs done fast, Sal will be all over us." He paused to view my reaction "There has been buzzing about the little lady in Scaletta's life, yours too. You two better keep an eye out." He pulled his flask from his pocket as he sang an Irish diddly on his way out.

 _My lady?_ I thought _how did they know about, Rae? Did they see me at her house each day? Who was watching me?_ I was getting worried. I quickly made my way back to the French Ward and to her apartment. I raced up the steps and went to open the door. I stopped when I noticed a piece of paper taped to it. I unfolded it and read _we see you._ I crumbled it and threw it to the ground as I struggled to unlock the door. I got in and looked around "Rae" I called to her. She was nowhere in sight. It was still early. She couldn't have let for work. My panic was rising and then I heard her from the kitchen.

She was out on the balcony "What?" she had a cup of coffee in her hand. She saw my reaction and quickly walked over to me "Lincoln, what's wrong? Come here," she pulled me to her for a hug. She rested her head on my chest "Your heart is beating like crazy, what happened?"

I took a breath and gulped "Nothing, I just wasn't sure if you were here."

She rubbed my shoulders "I'm here all day. I have off today, remember?" I was lost in thought "let me get you some coffee and we can relax on the terrace. How does that sound?" she lightly touched my face and I brought my eyes to look at her.

Just then the phone rang. I touched her arm "I'll get it." I walked to the phone and hesitated. I wasn't sure who it was going to be "Hello…?"

"Hey, Lincoln. I figured you would be there. Rosa and I would like to have you and Raejeanne over for dinner later tonight. We're going out now but I was thinking around 8:30?"

I let out a sigh of relief "Yeah, yeah sounds good."

I heard silence on the other line, then he spoke again "Hey buddy…everything alright?"

I played with the phone cord "I went to the meeting today-"

"Ah, fuck." I heard him grunt in frustration "I completely forgot."

"It's alright, man. I gave Frisco Fields to, Burke. I hope you don't mind."

"Yeah, that's cool. That Mick prick will do well over there. Is that what's got you distracted?"

I hesitated "No… Burke told me that people have been talking. About Rosa and Rae…." He was silent and then I heard him hum for me to go on "Then when I got here…there was a note on her door…. said 'I see you' what the fuck is that about?" I felt myself getting panicked again.

"Listen, Kid, don't worry about it. How many territories we got left?"

"Just Lou…." I said it quietly so Raejeanne couldn't hear me.

"Alright, that's good. Let's just relax tonight and not worry about it. Sal has lost almost everything. There is nothing he can do until we make him." I agreed "I'll see you later then."

I hung up the phone and took a breath. He was right. I had to just relax. I clenched my fist as I felt the worry sink in. I shouldn't have done this to myself. I knew better. I shouldn't have gotten involved with Raejeanne, not in the middle of trying to take down the mob empire of Louisiana. _Idiot_ I thought as I brought my hand to my head.

"Lincoln…if I don't see you on that patio in 5 minutes-" she called to me.

"I'm coming" I smiled to myself. I passed her as I walked to the back porch. She smacked my butt as I walked by. I grinned. I let out a deep sigh as I sat down. It felt good to relax my muscles for a second.

She came up behind me as she passed me my cup. I felt her arm slide behind my back as she sat on the chairs armrest. She leaned her head on me as we heard the busy street below us. Her terrace was covered with lush green ferns for privacy. "Who was on the phone?" her fingers rubbed my head.

"Huh…?" I rested my head against her body as she continued to knead her fingers along the fuzz of my hair "Oh…Vito…he wanted us over for dinner tonight." I felt my eyes close, feeling relaxed.

"How is that going? Did she show up? Are they happy?" her voice was full of hope.

"Yeah, I think so…" my voice trailed off. I felt her take the cup that was slipping from my hands. "I'm just going to rest my eyes for a second."

I felt her kiss my head as she continued to massage me "Okay, baby. I'll be here." I couldn't believe what I was thinking earlier. She has been the only thing to ground me these last couple of months.

This was absolutely worth it.

 _Rosa:_

I watched Vito storm down the steps as I trailed behind him. I didn't understand what was upsetting him so much. I watched him cook. He moved around the kitchen like a hurricane. He pounded the ground beef with such force, then moved to cutting the vegetables, each cut making a sharp thud. I clutched the doorframe as I noticed the crease in his brow "Vito…"

I tried to figure out what was wrong when Lincoln and Raejeanne arrived. I turned to the door as Lincoln called from the front "Wow, check this place out. Does this mean Benny's is back?"

When I went back to Vito he was swooping past me, whipping his hands on his apron "Hey, kid, how the hell are ya?" he gave him a firm handshake "it was Rosa's idea to clean the place up. Looks nice, ah?" Lincoln agreed and then introduced Raejeanne. "Hey Hun, come over here." He didn't look at me when he called.

I walked over to greet them "Lincoln, it's nice to see you again. I just want to say thank you again. These last 48 hours with my Vito have been amazing." I wrapped my hands around him from the side, rubbing his chest. He barely draped his arm over me. I ignored it and continued "I will never be able to repay you."

Lincoln smiled "It was my pleasure."

"It's an amazing love story you two have. It must be hard with Vito's PTSD,"

My eyebrow raised as I gave a polite, but confused smile "I'm sorry…?"

She tried to explain further but Lincoln interrupted "Yeah, Vito, that's what you told me. You were afraid to be together again after…" he quickly thrust his hand towards me "Rosa thought you died in the war, you figured it would be best because of your war terrors to stay apart…." He gave me and Vito the biggest eyes as we finally caught on.

"Oh, yeah. I get up in the night screaming at the top of my lungs… ' _you Nazi, bastards."_

"I thought you were in the Vietnam War…?" Raejeanne asked.

"He was" I jumped in "He was also in war world II-"

"And the Korean War" Vito chimed in, pointing a finger and raising his brow.

"Right" I confirmed "and they advanced him to ….general?" I looked at Vito who nodded in affirmation "in the Vietnam war. They discharged him for being old."

Vito gave me an annoyed look "Actually, I saved a whole platoon of men before they presumed I was dead, then found me years later and honorably discharged me for being a _hero_. Remember, honey, you thought I died."

"Oh, that's right." I said between clenched teeth.

They both looked at us confused "Anyway…whatever you are making smells good." Lincoln changed the subject.

"I thought I would go old school tonight with meatballs." Vito laughed as he took Lincoln in back. I stayed with Raejeanne to talk. She was such a sweet girl.

 _Vito:_

Lincoln followed me to the kitchen "thanks for inviting us over. Rosa and Rae really seem to be hitting it off." I didn't respond "…how is everything going with you guys?" again I was distracted "Alright, man, I am getting some serious déjà vu and I don't like it. Is everything, alright?"

I kept thinking about Rosa's phone call and then my anger got the best of me "No, it's not." I threw down the dishrag I was holding.

"What's wrong?" he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"I heard her on the phone with someone before you guys came…she said _I love you_. Can you believe that? Who the fuck is she saying _I love you_ to besides me? I think she's got another man."

"Oh, Vito, that's crazy. I saw the way she looks at you."

"Yeah, so? I'm her first love. The long lost husband that she just _had_ to see one last time, for old time sake." I paced the floor, wiping my mouth with my hand "I'm not an idiot. She is beautiful, strong, smart, someone like that doesn't stay single. Especially when I was 'out of the picture'" I used air quotes.

"Vito, come on. You can't really think that."

"I don't know, I don't know what I think anymore." I put the meatballs in a dish next to the pasta "forget it, let's just go eat." I quickly left the kitchen without waiting for Lincoln to respond.

 _Rosa:_

I sat with Raejeanne at the table laughing about something we watched on T.V. when Vito flew out of the kitchen, food in his hand "Alright, here you go, foods done." He abruptly set the plates on the table and quickly sat down. He leaned on me so I scooted deeper into the booth. He started to put spaghetti on his plate before Lincoln was even at the table.

We watched in disbelief "Uh…honey, we should wait for Lincoln to get to the table."

He set down the tongs "Oh, sorry…" he waved Lincoln over "come on, what the hell are ya doing?"

"Vito!" I scolded him for his rudeness.

"What..? It's a question. Can I ask a question?" he gave me a side glance.

"You forgot the wine." Lincoln set down the bottle and slid in next to Raejeanne.

"Great, thanks. Alright everyone dig in." Vito barked.

The rest of the dinner was just as awkward and rushed. I talked to Lincoln and Raejeanne about what it was like living in the middle of French Ward. Vito was hunched over his food, making loud noises as he sucked up his noodles. I gave him a look as I tried to continue "Anyway…" I stopped again when I heard his fork hit the plate as he went to pick up his wine glass. He chugged the wine in three big gulps letting out an obnoxious 'ah' when he was done. I was mortified at his behavior as Lincoln and Raejeanne pretended not to notice. "Honey…can you pass me the meatballs, please."

He had a noodle hanging from his mouth as he spoke "You got arms, get it yourself."

I squinted my eyes at him as a muffled chuckle came from Lincoln "Vito, can I speak to you in the kitchen please…"

"We're eating." He said.

"Is that what you call it…?" I responded with a sarcastic smile as I started to push him out of the booth.

"Sorry, we will be right back. I have to go get yelled at." Vito said sarcastically. I pushed him harder towards the kitchen.

What is your problem?" I didn't know why he was acting like such a child.

"I don't have a problem" he said calmly as he leaned against the counter.

"You were rushing the food, and then made those ridiculous sounds when you were eating. What is going on?" He didn't look at me, I raised my voice "VITO!"

"Alright, you want to know what my problem is. My problem is that I pined for you for years. It killed me knowing that you were out there _living_ life and I couldn't live it with you. I wasn't able to function for years until I trained myself to numb the pain and just try to get through each day."

My mouth was ajar. _Where was this coming from?_ I fought back "You don't think that's how it was for me?! You say I was _living_ like I was enjoying the idea of getting up in the morning. I had to make a mind numbing routine just to distract myself from thinking of you. Until…until…" I hesitated. "Until I realized that someone needed me in their life."

"Yes, thank you" He raised his hands to the sky like he was thanking the Lord "It finally comes out. I heard your conversation on the phone before they got here. I know you've found someone else."

"What…?" I was in disgust at his accusation. "You can't be serious."

He breathed wildly as he looked off "I saw our wedding ring on your hand and I stupidly assumed that you wore that because you were still mine but I guess it was just to show you were taken and the cheap bastard couldn't buy you a new ring, himself."

"You have this _all_ wrong. The nerve of you to think that I would just find someone else after being with _you_ , you big" I squeezed my fist in frustration, trying to find the right word "screwball!" I realized that our fight was perfectly on display through the kitchen window. I watched Lincoln and Raejeanne go outside to wait.

"Really? Well, who was that on the phone than, huh?" he was so sure he was right. Like he caught me in a lie and was getting ready to gloat when I didn't have an answer.

My eyes flooded with tears. I was so afraid of losing him if I revealed who I was speaking too. I didn't know how he would take it. I didn't know if he would be ready to hear it. I wanted more time. I wanted to tell him in a nicer way, not like this, but I feared if I didn't tell him now, I might lose him to his insane fantasies driven by insecurity. I let out quick breaths as my heart was thudding in my ears "It was…" I tried to control myself…

"It was your _son_ , you idiot!"


End file.
